Fresh from the sea

Published 4:03 pm, Wednesday, July 2, 2014

If you love lobster, now's the time to enjoy some of the best, and here are some recipes to help you enjoy them even more.

Lobster Salad

Serves 4-6

Herb dressing

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the salad

4 cups sliced cooked lobster meat

2 medium zucchini

1 yellow bell pepper

4 cups mixed salad greens

In a screw top jar, mix all dressing ingredients, shake well and set aside.

Broil bell pepper 15-20 minutes until it blisters. Peel and seed, then slice into thin strips and set aside.

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut diagonally in 3/4-inch wedges. Blanch in boiling salt water for 2 minutes. Plunge into ice water. Drain well and set aside.

To cook lobster, take four 1 1/4-pound lobsters and plunge into a large pot of boiling water. Return water to boiling, cover and boil 15 to 20 minutes until one of the small legs twists out easily and tail meat is opaque when cut in center. Cool.

Line luncheon plates with mixed salad greens and top with cooked lobster, zucchini and pepper strips. Drizzle salad dressing over salad. Serve.

Remove the meat from the shells of the lobsters. Cut the meat into large cubes and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect. Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs separately.

For the stock, melt the butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the lobster shells and corncobs. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and paprika and cook for 1 minute. Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and their juices, and corncobs and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock over the lowest heat for 30 minutes. (Move the pot halfway off the heat.)

Meanwhile, in another stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt and pepper to the same pot and saute for 5 minutes. When the stock is ready, remove the largest pieces of lobster shell and the corncobs with tongs and discard. Place a strainer over the soup pot and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste. Heat gently and serve hot with a garnish of crisp bacon.

-- From Mary Ann Arlio, of Trumbull

Lobster Pot Pie

Serves 4-5

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion)

3/4 cup chopped fennel (1 fennel bulb)

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups fish stock or clam juice

1 tablespoon Pernod

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons heavy cream

3/4 pound cooked fresh lobster meat

1 1/2 cups frozen peas (not "baby" peas)

1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions

1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

Pastry

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

8 tablespoons cold, fresh lard, diced (1/4 pound)

8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced

1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water or heavy cream, for egg wash

Saute the onions and fennel with the butter in a large saute pan on medium heat until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour and cook on low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the stock, Pernod, salt and pepper and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the heavy cream.

Cut the lobster meat into medium-sized cubes. Place the lobster, frozen peas, frozen onions and parsley in a bowl (there is no need to defrost the vegetables). Pour the sauce over the mixture and check the seasonings. Set aside.

For the crust, mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the lard and butter and pulse 10 times, until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out on a floured surface and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the dough in half and roll out each half to fit a 9- or 9 1/2-inch round by 2-inch high ovenproof glass or ceramic baking dish. Place 1 crust in the dish, fill with the lobster mixture and top with the second crust. Crimp the crusts together and brush with the egg wash. Make 4 or 5 slashes in the top crust and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Fill a large pot with about 2 inches of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil. Add the lobsters, cover and cook until the shells are bright red, about 10 minutes. Remove to a colander using tongs, then rinse under cold water to cool slightly.

Remove the meat from each lobster. Twist off the claws and tail. Remove the flippers at the end of the tail and insert your thumb to force out the meat. Crack the claws with the flat side of a knife or a lobster cracker; remove the meat. Roughly chop the lobster meat, transfer to a bowl and chill 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the bacon on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until browned and crisp, about 15 minutes; drain on paper towels. Combine the mayonnaise, chopped celery, basil and lemon juice in a large bowl; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the buns and toast about two minutes per side. Spread about 1 tablespoon of the herbed mayonnaise on each roll. Stir the lobster meat into the remaining mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Fill each roll with a lettuce leaf, 1 bacon slice, some lobster salad and a few tomato slices. Sprinkle with the celery leaves and chives. Crumble the remaining bacon slice and sprinkle on top.